Roller for strip feeding means



Oct. 10, 1967 13, om" 3,346,160

ROLLER FOR STRIP FEEDING MEANS Filed Dec. 6, 1965 INVENTOR ROGER 0. TOP fiw THEIR ATTORNEYS 3,346,160 ROLLER FOR STRIP FEEDING MEANS Roger D. Toft, Kettering, Ohio, assignor to The National Cash Register Company, Dayton, Ohio, a corporation of Maryland Filed Dec. 6, 1965, Ser. No. 511,879 12 Claims. (Cl. 226-191) data processing systems, and forv such a use, high speed of operation is very important. Such speed can be achieved by, the use of magnetically operated feeding means, em-

ploying two contantly rotating cylindrical elements, between which the record media may selectively be gripped under magnetic control for feeding. One such magnetically operated feeding means is shown in the co-pending United States patent application Ser. No. 498,494, filed Oct. 20, 1965, inventors Donald A. Bange et al., assigned to the assignee of the present application. The novel feed roll of the present invention is adapted for use in the feeding means described and claimed in the above-cited application, although it is not limited to use in that specific type of feeding means, and could readily be used in other arrangements.

More specifically, this novel feed roll includes a central axial member or hub which is journal'ed in a support member of the feeding means and is driven in rotational movement; an outer annular member or ring having at least a portion of magnetic material, which outer member is normally located concentrically of the axial member during rotation, but which may be shifted in a direction perpendicular to the axial member by magnetic attraction in order to cause the record media to be fed; coupling means loosely connecting the annular member to the axial member in such a manner as to cause the axial member to drive the annular member while at the same time permitting radial movement of the annular member with respect to the axial member under the influence of a shifting force, such as magnetic attraction; and centering means including members which act under the influence of centrifugal force to urge the annular member to return to its concentric position from a non-centered position when the shifting force onthe annular member is terminated.

It is accordingly an object of the present invention to provide an improved feed roll for use in a strip feeding device.

Another object is to provide a feed roll for use in a strip feeding device, said roll including a central axial member, an annular member normally concentric with the axial member during rotation, means for loosely coupling the annular member to the axial member in such fashion that the annular member rotates with the axial member but is free for a limited radial movement with respect to the axis of rotation, and means for urging the annular memberinto a concentric position with respec to the axial member. I

A further object is to provide a feed roll for use in a strip feeding device, said roll having an inner hub member, an outer annular member, coupling means including a plurality ofspherical members for loosely coupling the inner hub member and the annular member, and centering means also including a plurality of spherical members for constantly urging the annular member into atent concentric relation with the axial member during rotation.

An additional object is to provide a feed roll for use with a strip feeding device, said roll having an outer cylindrical surface which is driven in rotational movement and which is also capable of eccentric movement with respect to the axis of rotation of the feed roll.

With these and incidental objects in view, the invention includes certain novel features of construction and combinations of parts, a preferred form or embodiment of which is hereinafter described with reference to the drawing which accompanies and forms a part of this specification.

In the drawing:

FIG. 1 is a fragmentary side elevation of a tape handling apparatus, showing the tape feeding means.

FIG. 2 is a sectional view taken on line 2-2 of FIG. 1,' showing the feed roll which forms a part of the tape feeding means.

FIG. '3 is a sectional view taken on line 33 of FIG. 2, showing the coupling means which form a driving connection between the inner axial member and the outer annular member of the feed roll.

FIG. 4 is a sectional view of the annular outer member of the feed roll.

FIG. 5 is a sectional view taken on line 5-5 of FIG. 2,

showing the outer annular member in a concentric position with respect to the inner axial member, and showing the spherical elements which tend to center the outer annular member of the feed roll in such a concentric position.

FIG. 6 is an enlarged sectional view showing one of the spherical elements, and the manner in which it is loosely retained in the inner axial member or hub of the feed roll.

FIG. 7 is a sectional view similar to FIGS, but showing the outer annular member in an eccentric position with-respect to the inner axial member or hub.

FIG. 8 is a partial elevation of a modified form of the inner axial member, showing a different arrangement for location of the spherical elements therein.

Referring now to FIG. 1 of the drawing, a strip feeding means is shown having three basic element; namely, a capstan 12, an electromagnetic member 14, and a feed roll 16. These three elements are mounted on a support member 18 by suitable means, the capstan 12 and the feed roll 16 being mounted in bearings for rotational movement, while the electromagnetic member 14 is fixed to the support member 18. An electric motor or other appropriate means (not shown) is provided to drive the capstan and the feed roll in constant rotational movement in opposite directions of rotation during operation of the strip feeding means. The strip 10 which is to be fed is positioned between the capstan 12 and the feed roll 16.

The capstan 12 includes two annular rings 20, one of which is shown. These rings are of magnetic material, and are separated by an annular spacer (not shown) of non-magnetic material.

Cooperating with the capstan 12 as a part of the feeding means is the electromagnetic member 14, which consists of a pair of pole pieces 22 (only one being shown) of suitable magnetic material, connected by a member 24, on which is wound an electromagnetic coil 26. The pole pieces 22 are shaped in a configuration which extends around the greater portion of the circumference of the capstan 12, and each of said pole pieces is positioned in alignment with one of the annular magnetic rings 20 of said capstan.

For further details of the construction of the capstan 12 and the electromagnetic member 14, reference may be had to the previously-cited United States patent application, Ser. No. 498,494. It will be noted that a feed roll, or pinch roller, of different design than the novel feed roll of the present invention, is shown in said previouslycited application, but the present feed roll may be used in that arrangement, and will function in a similar manner to the pinch roller therein disclosed.

The construction of the feed roll of the present invention is shown in detail in FIGS. 2 to 7 inclusive. As may best be seen in FIG. 2, thefeed roll 16 includes a central axial member or hub 30 having at one end an integral enlarged retaining portion 32 and having at the other end an integral shaft 34 of reduced diameter, which cooperates with a bearing assembly 36 for rotatably mounting the feed roll in the support member 18. The end portion of the shaft 34 is provided with flat surfaces 38 to enable it to be securely'connected to a suitable driving means.

Positioned around the circumference of the hub 30 is an annular member 40, shown separately in FIG. 4, which consists of an outer ring 42 of a suitable magnetic material and an inner ring 44 of a suitable material, such as a synthetic polymer, of the type commonly used for bearings. Among the suitable synthetic polymers are Delrin, a polyformaldehyde resin of the formula produced by E. I. du Pont. de Nemours and Company; nylon, which is a long-chain polymeric amide having recurring amide groups -CONH-- as an integral part of the polymer chain; and Teflon, which may be either a poly-tetrafiuoroethylene resin or a fluorinated ethylenepropylene resin (see Condensed Chemical Dictionary).

The inner surface of the ring 44 contains a plurality of grooves 46, which are parallel to the axis of rotation of the ring. The purpose of the grooves will subsequently be disclosed. If necessary, the inner and outer rings 44 and 42 could be formed as one integral ring of magnetic material, but the use of two rings permits different materials to be used for each and is therefore somewhat more desirable, since the inner ring should ideally possess properties of hardness and sound deadening that the soft magnetic steel of the outer ring cannot normally provide.

Means are provided for coupling the annular member 40 to the hub 30 so that the two are driven together, such means being in the form of a plurality of small spherical elements or balls 48, which may be ball bearings. As may best be seen in FIGS. 2 and 3, the balls 48 rest loosely in bores 50 equally spaced about the circumference of the hub 30 midway between its ends. When the annular member 40 is placed upon the hub 30, the protruding portions of the balls 48 ride in the previously-mentioned grooves 46, and thus couple the hub 30 and the annular member 40 for unitary driving movement. It may be noted that a retaining plate 52, secured to one end of the hub 30, is provided to prevent lateral movement of the annular member 40 with respect to the hub 30.

Centering means are employed between the hub 30 and the annular member 40 and function to maintain the member 40 in concentric relation to the hub 30 when the feed roll is being driven in rotational movement, but is not functioning to feed the strip which is positioned between the capstan 12 and the feed roll 16. Said means also function to return the member 40 to such concentric position after it has been urged to an eccentric strip-feeding position under control of the electromagnetic member 14, or by other means, and then released.

A plurality of spherical elements or balls 54, which may be in the form of ball bearings, are located in two groups of bores 56 in the hub 30. Each group of bores is equally spaced in a line about the circumference of the hub and located adjacent to one end of the hub. Each ball 54 is free for limited movement within its bore 56, but is restricted in its extent of outward movement by a cap 58, which is secured by a pressed fit or other suitable means in the opening of each bore 56, as may be best seen in FIG. 6,- A circular opening in each can 53 permits its associated ball 54 to protrude slightly beyond the outer circumferential surface of the hub 30.

The operation of the strip feeding means of FIG. 1, and particularly of the novel feed roll 16, which forms apart of that means, will now be described. The outer surface of the annular member 40 of the feed roll 16 is adjacent to and engageable with one side of the strip 10 at a point opposite where the outer surface of the capstan 12 engages the other side of said strip. When the coil 26 of the electromagnetic element 14 is not energized, the capstan 12 and the feed roll 16 do not press or squeeze the strip 10 suificiently to drive it, even though the capstan 12 and the feed roll 16 are constantly rotating, as has previously been mentioned.

However, when the electromagnetic coil 26 is energized, magnetic flux is generated and follows a path which includes the element 24, the pole pieces 22, the annular rings 20 of the capstan, and the outer ring 42 of the annular member 40. This causes the attraction of the member 40 toward the capstan 12. Because of its loose mounting on the hub 30, the annular member 40 is capa- =ble of shifting in a radial direction slightly toward the capstan 12, while both continue to rotate, thereby gripping the strip 10 therebetween and imparting a feeding movement to said strip, which movement continues so long as the flux 'is maintained by energization of the coil 26. Deenergization of said coil permits the annular member 40 to return to its centered position, in which the strip 10 is no longer gripped between the capstan 12 and the feed roll 16 with sufiicient force to cause it to be driven.

The manner in which the various elements of the feed roll 16 cooperate to permit proper operation of said feed roll in both feeding and non-feeding modes of operation will now be described. When the annular member 40 is rotating about its theoretical center (i.e., when the electromagnetic coil 26 is not energized), each ball 54 rests against the internal surface of the inner ring 44 of the annular element 40, as shown in FIG. 5, and the centrifugal force exerted upon the balls as a result of rotation of the feed roll is transmitted equally to all areas of the annular member 40.

When the annular member 40 is shifted radially from its centered position by energization of the electromagnetic coil 26 or by any other cause, as by a splioein the strip 10, to a non-centered position, as shown in FIG. 7, the balls 54 which are on that side of the hub 30 corresponding to the direction of theshift no longer exert pressure on the inside surface of the annular member 40, since they-are retained within the bores 56 by the caps 58 and cannot protrude sufficiently far to contact said surface. On the other hand, the balls 54 on the side of the hub 30 away from the direction of the shift continue to exert pressure against the inner surface of the annular member 40 by virtue of the centrifugal force generated by the rotation of the feed roll 16, thus urging the member 40 to return to a centered position, which it will do as soon as the shifting force is removed. It will thus be seen that the balls 54 act under the influence of centrifugal force to resist automatically any force which tends to move the outer annular member 40 from a position in which it is concentric with the hub 30. The outer annular member 40 is thus permitted to be shifted against the yielding centering means comprising the balls 54, and is urged to return to its centered position immediately following the removal of the shifting force.

Shown in FIG. 8 is a modified form 30' of the hub 3b which varies from the form shown in FIG. 2 in that the bores holding the balls 54 are in a staggered formation rather than being placed in line, as they are in FIG. 2. Both arrangements function satisfactorily. One advantage of the staggered configuration of FIG. 8 is that greater spacing between adjacent bores is achieved, thus permitting the use of larger balls and bores if desired in certain applications, such as in devices designed for relatively owpeed ope ation-.111 addition, the staggered format on provides a slightly more even distribution of forces of the balls 54' on the inside surface of the annular element 40.

While the forms of the invention shown and described herein are admirably adapted to fulfill the objects primarily stated, it is to be understood that it is not intended to confine the invention to the forms or embodiments disclosed herein, for the invention is susceptible of embodiment in various other forms within the scope of the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. In a strip feeding device, a feed roll comprising, in combination,

a central hub member;

a rigid outer annular member surrounding the hub member;

coupling means for coupling the outer annular member to the hub member for unitary rotational movement in such manner that the outer annular member can be shifted radially with respect to the axis of rotation of the hub member; and

centering means for yieldably maintaining the outer annular member in concentric relation to the hub member during rotation of the feed roll in the absence of an external shifting force, and capable of returning the outer annular member to such concentric relation after a shifting force has been terminated, including a plurality of rigid centering elements associated with the hub member and capatale of limited movement to engage adjacent areas of the inner surface of the outer annular member under the influence of centrifugal force, the areas of engagement being determined by the position of the outer annular member with respect to the hub member. 1

2. The feed roll of claim 1 in which a magnetic element is included in the outer annular member to enable it to be shifted by the application of magnetic force.

3. The feed roll of claim 1 in which the outer annular member includes an outer ring element of magnetic material and an inner ring element.

4. The feed roll of claim 1 in which the coupling means includes a plurality of coupling elements partially seated in recesses in the hub member and cooperating with grooves in the inner surface of the outer annular memher.

5. The feed coil of claim 3 in which the coupling elements are spherical.

6. The feed roll in claim 1 in which each of the centering elements is loosely retained for limited movement in a bore in the hub member, from which it may protrude to a limited extent under the influence of centrifugal force for engagement with an adjacent area of the inner surface of the outer annular member.

7. The feed roll of claim 6 in which the centering elements are spherical.

8. The feed roll of claim 7 in which each of the spherical centering elements is retained in its bore in the hub member by means of a cap having a circular aperture therein through which a portion of the spherical element may protrude.

9. The feed roll of claim 6 in which the bores in the hub member are arranged in at least one circumferential line near one end of the hub member.

10. The feed roll of claim 6 in which the bores in the hub member are arranged in staggered configuration around the circumference of the hub member.

11. The feed roll of claim 1 in which means are provided for retaining the outer annular member in a position in which it surrounds the hub member.

12. The feed roll of claim 1 in which the hub member is provided with means to enable it to be driven in rotational movement.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,261,523 7/1966 Roecks et al 225-194 X FOREIGN PATENTS 1,166,523 3/1964 Germany.

M. HENSON WOOD, JR., Primary Examiner.

ALLEN N. KNOWLES, Examiner. 

1. IN A STRIP FEEDING DEVICE, A FEED ROLL COMPRISING, IN COMBINATION, A CENTRAL HUB MEMBER; A RIGID OUTER ANNULAR MEMBER SURROUNDING THE HUB MEMBER; COUPLING MEANS FOR COUPLING THE OUTER ANNULAR MEMBER TO THE HUB MEMBER FOR UNITARY ROTATIONAL MOVEMENT IN SUCH MANNER THAT THE OUTER ANNULAR MEMBER CAN BE SHIFTED RADIALLY WITH RESPECT TO THE AXIS OF ROTATION OF THE HUB MEMBER; AND CENTERING MEANS FOR YIELDABLY MAINTAINING THE OUTER ANNULAR MEMBER IN CONCENTRIC RELATION TO THE HUB MEMBER DURING ROTATION OF THE FEED ROLL IN THE ABSENCE OF AN EXTERNAL SHIFTING FORCE, AND CAPABLE OF RETURNING THE OUTER ANNULAR MEMBER TO SUCH CONCENTRIC RELATION AFTER A SHIFTING FORCE HAS BEEN TERMINATED, INCLUDING A PLURALITY OF RIGID CENTERING ELEMENTS ASSOCIATED WITH THE BUB MEMBER AND CAPABLE OF LIMITED MOVEMENT TO ENGAGE ADJACENT AREAS OF THE INNRE SURFACE OF THE OUTER ANNULAR MEMBER UNDER THE INFLUENCE OF CENTRIFUGAL FORCE, THE AREAS OF ENGAGEMENT BEING DETERMINED BY THE POSITION OF THE OUTER ANNULAR MEMBER WITH RESPECT TO THE HUB MEMBER. 